Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Combine the whole wheat flour, wheat germ or bran, brown sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a food processor and pulse briefly to blend the dry ingredients.
- Add the cold butter, cut into small pieces, to the processor. Add the honey, milk, and molasses as well. Blend until the mixture forms crumbs, then continue processing until larger clumps begin to form.
- Transfer the dough to a non-stick surface and knead it a bit to form a single, cohesive ball. Gently flatten it with your hand.
- Place the dough between sheets of plastic wrap or parchment paper and roll it out to approximately 1/8 inch thickness, keeping the top covered to minimize cracking.
- Use a cookie cutter to cut out gingerbread men shapes. Poke four small holes in each cutout with a toothpick.
- Arrange the cookies on a lined, ungreased baking sheet and refrigerate for a full 30 minutes. While the dough chills, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Bake the cookies for 12–15 minutes, checking at 12 minutes; remove them when the edges are set and lightly golden. Transfer to a wire rack immediately to cool. The cookies will crisp up as they cool.
- Once completely cooled, decorate the cookies with frosting and sprinkles as desired.
Notes
Chilling the cutout cookies for a full 30 minutes ensures they won’t spread or lose their shape while baking—do not skip this step. Whole wheat flour gives the dough its classic graham flavor, but you can substitute half all-purpose if needed. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week, or freeze undecorated cookies for up to two months. For best results, decorate only after completely cooled. These cookies make wonderful edible gifts or fun group decorating activities.